1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote meter reading system of an electronic electric power meter, and in particular to a remote meter reading system using a grouped data structure which is capable of classifying a data needed for charging an electric power used and selectively accessing the data.
2. Description of the Background Art
In a conventional remote meter reading system, a data needed for charging a used electric power of a user is directly collected by a meter reader from an electronic electric power meter using a wired or wireless meter reading terminal. The thusly collected data are transmitted to a remote meter reading server through a wired or wireless communication network, an electronic electric power meter transmits the data to a remote meter reading server through a wired or wireless communication network based on a request of a remote meter reading server.
However, in the electronic electric power meter of the above conventional remote meter reading system, since a corresponding company uses its inherent data structure, all data in the electronic electric power meter should be collected at one time whenever a meter reading related data is collected for charging an user's used electric power.
In addition, in the case that all data in the electronic electric power meter are collected at one time whenever the meter reading related data are collected, since the meter reader collects the data needed for an actual meter read together with an unnecessary data, so that a time needed for a meter read is extended, for thereby increasing a work time. In particular, when performing a meter read, since an unnecessary data is stored, a plurality of storing apparatuses are needed. A certain process procedure is needed for selectively processing a corresponding data among a large amount of data collected. Therefore, an expensive equipment is needed.
In the case that a meter reader transmits the collected data to the remote meter reading server at one time through the wired and wireless meter reading terminal or the remote meter reading server receives the collected data from the electronic electric power meter at one time, a probability that a transmission error may occur in a communication network having a limited communication band width like a wireless internet or a low speed power cable communication is increased. In addition, more communication over head may occur when preventing the above problem. Therefore, a transmission efficiency may be decreased when transmitting a large amount of data, and a communication time is extended, so that a communication charge is increased.
In particular, in the case that a communication environment is not stable, a large amount of the data may not be transmitted at one time, so that it is impossible to implement a remote meter reading operation. In the conventional remote meter reading system, a communication speed is decreased for enhancing a reliability of a communication network, and a data transmission amount is limited. Therefore, there is a problem for increasing the use of the remote meter reading system in the conventional art.